Pruning is a core part of the landscape gardener's maintenance work. Choose pruning type according to purpose, timing according to species, and cut in the branch collar with the right cuts — so the tree closes the wound itself. Here is the method from formative pruning to the arborist boundary.
Introduction
Pruning controls woody plants' growth, health and shape. A correct cut at the right time helps the tree close the wound and keep fungi out; an incorrect cut leaves an entry door for rot that can affect the plant for life. Care of trees and shrubs is therefore as much a professional craft as planting — and a large part of the landscaper's daily work.
Why prune?
Never prune for pruning's sake, but for a specific purpose: to build a healthy crown structure, to remove dead, diseased or troublesome branches, or to restore a neglected plant. Remove only what serves a purpose — every cut is a wound the plant must close.
The three pruning types
- 01Structural pruning: on young trees and shrubs, where you form a good, durable branch structure — one continuous trunk (up-/through main shoot), well-distributed branches and removal of double tops and ingrowing shoots.
- 02Maintenance pruning: the ongoing care of established plants — remove dead, diseased, broken and crossing branches, and keep the crown airy and the desired size.
- 03Restoration pruning: on neglected or damaged plants, where the crown is rebuilt over several seasons. Never take too much at once — a rule of thumb is to remove at most about a quarter of the live foliage in one season.
Pruning times — choose by species
The timing depends on the plant. Some species must not be pruned in winter or spring because they either bleed sap or are vulnerable to fungal diseases. The table collects the main groups:
| Plant group | Best time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pome fruit (apple, pear) | Leaf-free period (Feb.–Mar.) | Form and fruiting; summer pruning reduces growth |
| Stone fruit (cherry, plum) | Summer in dry weather (June–Aug.) | Avoids fungal silvering; wounds close best in warmth |
| "Softer" (birch, maple, walnut, hornbeam) | Summer (July–Aug.) | Strong sap surge in spring — avoid the tree "bleeding" |
| Deciduous ornamental trees and shrubs | Dormancy period (winter) | The branch structure is clearly visible without leaves |
| Spring-flowering bushes (forsythia, lilac) | Immediately after flowering | The flower buds sit on last year's shoots |
| Summer/autumn-flowering shrubs | Late winter / early spring | Blooms on the year's new shoots |
| Hedge (cutting) | Typically June (around Midsummer) and again late summer | Gives dense hedge; consider birds' breeding season |
Branch cut — cut in the branch collar
At the base of every branch sits a branch collar — a slight swelling where the branch meets the trunk. In the branch collar, the tree has the tissue that closes the wound. The cut is made just outside the branch collar, so the collar remains intact.
- 01Do not cut flush (right to the trunk): it removes the branch collar and creates a large wound the tree cannot close — a classic entry point for rot.
- 02Do not leave a stub (branch stub): a remaining stub dries out, dies and rots before it can be overgrown.
- 03Make the cut just outside the branch collar with a clean, smooth surface — neither too tight nor too far out.
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